In response, the Bescom and its officials filed a petition in the Karnataka High Court claiming that the information had been provided to the complainant. They contended that as the complainant had not fulfilled the requirements under section 19 of the RTI act, the complaint should not have been entertained by the SIC under section 18.

The high court quashed the SIC’s order to impose penalty on the PIO and the show cause notice issued by it against the PIO observing that the SIC cannot entertain a direct complaint against PIO when the complainant has not availed the first appeal remedy.